Stitcher - 4. Elias Cameron Franklin

Oh, fuck me! It’s 3:00 a.m., and the little man is screaming his lungs off. I drag my ass out of bed and walk over to the crib. Damn! Baby boy’s a stinky little fucker! I pick Eli up and carry the little shit machine over to the changing table. It's funny how, when he knows he's going to be taken care of, the tears instantly stop. At least I don't gag anymore when I change his shitty diapers.

Once he's cleaned and changed, I scoop him up in my arms and take him downstairs to the kitchen. I pull a bottle of mother’s milk out of the fridge, warm it in the microwave, test it on my wrist before walking out to the living room. I sit in Mom's rocker and cradle my boy in my left arm and hold the bottle in my right.

"Are you excited little man? Daddy Ian's coming home today, and we're moving into his house! I miss him so much! I know you hardly know him, but that will change over the summer."

Fuck! Eli doesn't give a shit. All he's thinking about is the bottle of yummy milk filling up his tummy.

Flash! Shit! that scared the Hell out of me! "Mom! You scared the crap out of me!"

"I heard the baby crying, and I snuck down so I could see my baby being a wonderful daddy. And I just happened to have my phone with me and had to get a picture."

I had to laugh a little. "Mom, that phone is glued to your hand lately. All you do is follow us around and take pics—Eli getting a bath—Eli in the crib—Eli strapped in his car seat. You're obsessed!"

"Of course I'm obsessed! I have a beautiful grandson who's going to be leaving the house in a couple of hours."

Fuck me. Here come the tears and the guilt. Wait, why am I feeling guilty? Our parents came up with the idea that I move in to Ian's with the baby when he finished the Spring semester. Mom and Claire have spent the last two weeks turning the second bedroom into a nursery, and Sam installed a kitchenette in the living area. Mom and Claire would take turns taking care of Eli while Ian and I were at work.

Little Eli cooed at me, and the bottle was empty. I wiped his mouth and cleaned up the drool. Little fucker is a drool machine! I put the cloth on my shoulder and hold him up so I can get him to burp.

"I'm so proud of you, Cam. This has to have been some of the toughest months you'll ever have to live through, and you've handled everything like a champ. Being a single dad at nineteen is tough enough, but with what happened to Janet, being apart from Ian and taking over your father's business would have destroyed most people. You amaze me, son. I don't think I've ever been more proud of you."

"You and Dad taught me well. When we're faced with a challenge, we face it with all the strength and courage we can muster. But, when it all comes down to it, I've got this beautiful baby boy in my life. I just hope I don't fuck it up, and he turns out to be a little shit."

"Cam! Watch your language—especially around the baby!"

"He's only three months old. I don't think he's going to be talking for a while. But you're probably right. I should start watching my language now. It would be horrible if his first word were an f-bomb!"

BURRRRRRRRRP! That's my boy! He's a Franklin, alright! "Good boy! I do the same thing after I eat your Gramma's roast beef!” I turned to my mother. "Mom, why don't you go back to bed? I'm going to stay here and rock my boy back to sleep."

"Okay, sweetheart. Do you want me to get Eli's binkie?'

"That would be great, Mom. I love you!"

I cradled my little man in my arm and started rocking him gently. Mom brought the pacifier and placed it in his mouth. Eli started sucking on it ferociously, hoping it would bring more milk, but when he realized it was his fake nipple, he calmed down and just stared up at me with his beautiful brown doe-eyes. What is it with me and eyes? Hmmm.

As Eli started to settle down, I began to think back to a year ago to graduation.

* * * * *

I don’t think I’ve ever been so proud! Ian’s giving the valedictorian speech in front of a packed gymnasium. He based the speech on what his Uncle Sam had said the day after Prom. It was all about how fucked up the world—and country—was right now and how WE were the generation that will make it all right again. About halfway through his speech, he shifted direction and told the entire world what only a handful of people knew—

“A year ago, I thought life as I knew it was over. My parents found out I was dating a boy and did what most parents in Cumberland, Kentucky would do in such a situation. They disowned me. I was lost. I didn’t know what I was going to do. I had nowhere to turn.

“I was dropped off at the bus station with everything I could pack into two suitcases and a couple hundred bucks. I couldn’t call anyone because they canceled my cell phone. Luckily, I was able to get online and Skyped the only person I could think could help me figure things out.

“I was a mess, but when my cousin made the connection, I started to feel better. My cousin Vic—yeah, Greenely—had everything figured out and solved within an hour, and I found myself on a Greyhound bus to my new home here on the Cape.

“A little more than a week after I got here, I met one of our classmates. My life—no, both of our lives changed forever. Not just because we found each other, but more importantly, we found hundreds of amazing people who accepted us without blinking an eye.

“It was you. All of you sitting here taught everyone in this school that the value and worth of a person come from WHO they are. The value and worth of a person come from their character. The value and worth of a person come from how they treat the other people in their community.

“The value and worth of a person have nothing to do with where he goes to church. It has nothing to do with what she had for breakfast. It has nothing to do with how much money is in the parents’ bank account. And it most certainly has nothing to do with who he or she loves.

“Without a doubt, my greatest memory of this amazing Senior class was Prom night. The fact that you voted me—the new kid—and my boyfriend Prom kings was a total and complete shock. But when the football team started dancing together while Cam and I were dancing—Well, that was the funniest and strangest and, yes, the classiest thing I’ve ever seen. Fortunately—or maybe, Unfortunately—some things just can’t be unseen.

“Seniors, look around you. These are the people that have had the most significant influence on our young lives. This ceremony will end in about an hour, and we will never all be in the same place again. While I’ve only been here a year, that just means that when I look out at all of you, I feel cheated. I feel cheated out of the three years I missed out on. But I can honestly say that even though I’ve only spent a year with you, you have had such a significant impact on my life. For that alone, I will be forever grateful.

“Parents, I want to thank you for all you have done to influence my friends and classmates. Because of you, I can honestly say the people sitting in front of me are truly Seniors WITH class—with class, honor, and above all, integrity.

“Thank you, and congratulations to the class of 2017!”

Oh, my God! Everyone in the gym was on their feet and cheering. I’m pretty sure I wasn’t the only one with tears falling down their face. My beautiful boy just stood at the podium with that amazing smile. He caught my eye and mouthed, and “I love you, Cam,” and I totally lost it. I had to sit my ass down a hide my face in my hands.

Gus Garner, one of the star basketball players, sat down next to me and put his arm around me. “Dude, I get it now! I think I just fell in love a little bit with your dude!” He put his other arm around me and drew me in. “You know, he’s a fucking lucky dude.”

“Thanks, Gus, but I’m the lucky one.”

The crowd finally settled down, and we all walked the stage one by one. They called us up in alphabetical order, which put me two people in front of Ian. After I got my diploma, I waited at the bottom of the stage steps for my boy. When he got there, I wrapped my arms around him and spoke into his ear, “I have never been more proud of anything than I am of you and your speech, baby. When we get home, I’m going to show you just how much!”

We held hands as we walked back to our seats, and in no time, caps were flying in the air, and we were officially graduated. We met the family out in the lobby, and of course, there were the obligatory photos.

Ian and I were standing together for yet another picture when, the next thing I knew, I was on the ground. Ian and Sam were holding a very angry dude who was trying to break free. Sam was pissed.

“What the Hell was that about, young man?”

The angry guy looked down at me and shouted, “That faggot knocked up my sister!”

* * * * *

I was still rocking my baby boy and thinking back on what Janet’s brother had said and how totally ironic it sounded. Eli was sound asleep to I sat up and took him back to his crib. I just stood and looked down on my beautiful baby boy. I just sighed as I thought about everything happening tomorrow.

Ian would be coming home for the summer, and the baby and I were moving in to his place. I crawled back into bed, pulled the sheet up to my chest, and thought about my beautiful boys. It’s the same way I’ve fallen asleep every night for the past couple of months.

The next thing I knew, there were arms around me, and kisses were covering the back of my neck. I groaned and pushed my ass into a blue jean-covered hard cock. “Dude, whatever it is you want to do, you better hurry. My boyfriend is gonna be here soon! OWWWWW!”

Ian tweaked my nipple, and I flipped around to escape his torture. “Hi, beautiful boy! Damn, it sure is nice waking up with you in bed with me. I’ve missed it! But you gotta be careful what you do in front of the baby!”

“No worries, Cam. Mom has Eli downstairs with her. She changed him and is feeding him a bottle. She told me to wake your sorry ass up so we can get started on the move.”

“I need to shower and wake up. Wanna join me?”

“More than you know. But if I join you, there’s going to be some major shower sucking and fucking, and it’ll just put off what needs to be done.”

“God, I fucking hate you when you’re right—but I love you enough to get over it. But let me tell you something, lawyer boy—when we put Eli down for his nap this afternoon, you are sooooo going to slam that hard cock deeeeep inside me! I need you sooooo bad!”

I got out of bed, and Ian slapped my ass. “That hot ass is mine, baby!

I hopped in the shower and resisted the temptation to stroke out a load. That was my baby’s load, for fuck’s sake!

After my shower, I dressed and went downstairs. Ian was holding Eli and talking to him in that silly talk where you repeat everything you say. “Are you ready to see your new home? Are you ready? You’re gonna love your new nursery! Love your new nursery!”

I just stood in the door to the kitchen and watched my boys. Eli was looking up at Ian and smiling, waving his little arms up to his Daddy. Mom was putting the finishing touches on some omelets. I walked over to the coffee maker and poured myself a cup.

“Cam, how long will it take to get your stuff packed up?”

“Not long at all, babe! Everything is boxed up and in the garage. All we need to do is throw a couple of things in my suitcase and fold up the crib.”

Mom told us she had already bagged up the baby’s milk that she had in the fridge and that as a housewarming present, she would drive over to the La Leche League and pick up our next batch. You see, the “Triple L” was this organization that Mom found the morning after Eli was born. They collect mother’s milk from women all over the Cape and make it available to babies who don’t have access to their own mother’s milk.

* * * * *

Janet. Holy shit, it still breaks my heart when I think about what happened. Of course, Janet’s family was beyond pissed that she was pregnant. She was pissed at them when they refused to accept that she was the one who made me do it. With her family being Catholic, abortion was definitely off the table.

The plan was to put the baby up for adoption. That pissed ME off, and during our families’ 4^th of July cookout, it was Ian’s Uncle Sam who told me that since I was eighteen, I had full parental rights and had the right to claim custody of the baby.

Well, that definitely fucked up the celebration part of the day as all of us—the parents, Ian, and I all got into some deep-shit talking about our options. When all was said and done, it was decided that I would file for custody, and Mom excitedly decided it would be wonderful to have a baby in the house again.

Ian spoke up as the details were being decided. “Cam, you do remember that ‘forever and always’ thing we both agreed on?”

“Of course, babe. That won’t change, I promise!”

“That’s not what I mean. First, I support you 100% in your decision to take custody of your child. I just wish I had been a part of some of the decisions that are going to affect and change our life together.”

I just sat there staring at my beautiful boy, thinking that I had just totally fucked up our relationship. I silently prayed to God that he wasn’t ending things.

“Second,..” The four parents silently stood up and went into the kitchen, leaving me alone with Ian.

“Second, this baby will be a huge part of OUR life—not YOUR life. I’m not going to be ‘Uncle Ian’ or his Daddy’s ‘friend.’ I’m going to be there with you. I’m going to help you raise this baby. I’M going to be his other Daddy.”

Thank God he didn’t want to end things!

So, everything got settled. We also decided we would let Janet be as much a part of the baby’s life as possible.

Ian’s uncle drew up all the necessary legal papers, and Janet’s family was surprisingly agreeable to the whole thing. Janet was especially happy that she would still be a part of the baby’s life.

The baby was due in February, and before we knew it, the call that Janet was in labor came in at 3:00 in the afternoon of Valentine’s day. I heard Mom tell Janet’s mom to drive safely as we were in the middle of a typical Cape Cod snowstorm.

Mom and I were on the way to the hospital. She was driving slowly and steadily and was having no trouble in her Subaru Outback. We were about three blocks from the hospital when we got stuck in stopped traffic. There was an accident at the intersection ahead. We heard the sirens approach, and soon, the police were guiding the traffic around the accident.

It was as we passed the accident that the next life-altering thing came into my life. “Mom! Pull over! That’s Janet’s mom’s car!” Mom pulled into the gas station and went to one of the officers while I ran over to the car.

“Janet! Janet!” I slipped and fell on the ice as I got to the car. Another police officer pulled me away from the car and told me to calm down and that I was only in the way.

“But you don’t understand! She’s in labor! She’s having our baby!”

They finally got the passenger door open and pulled Janet out of the car. Oh fuck, oh fuck, oh fuck! She wasn’t moving!

“Get her to the hospital now! The girl is in labor, and we need to save her and the baby!”

No! No! Noooooo! This couldn’t be happening! Not Janet! She never hurt a soul in her life! I just fell to the ground sobbing, and the officer kept an arm on my shoulder.

Mom came over to us and called my name. “Cam?” I looked up at her and saw that she was crying, too.

“Cam? We need to go to the hospital and see if they can save Janet and the baby. You need to be strong, son. That child is going to need you—us—more than we ever thought possible.”

“Janet? Her mom?”

“Janet’s mother didn’t make it. Janet is still alive but barely. She has a severe head injury. They were driving through the intersection when a car tried to stop at the red light. He slid on the ice and slammed into Janet’s mother. That pushed the car into the pole on the corner, and Janet’s side of the car got hit.”

We just both cried the rest of the way to the hospital. When we arrived, Mom just sat for a minute or two and collected herself. Damn, she’s an amazing woman. She told me that we had to buck up and that we would have to make a lot of phone calls.

The first person I called was Ian. He was planning to drive to the Cape and surprise me for Valentine's Day but decided against it when the weather started getting bad. He told me that he loved me and that he would see me at the weekend.

My beautiful boy said he would call his mom and told me to get hold of Janet’s girlfriend, Liz. I agreed to do that but dreaded the call more than anything.

Dad showed up about thirty minutes later, and Ian’s parents showed up soon after. I told them they didn’t have to come, but they insisted that they were also this baby’s grandparents, and there was no way they could stay away.

We had been in the waiting room a half-hour and still hadn’t heard anything. Mom and Claire went to the nurses’ station to see if they could find out anything, but there was no news.

The next half-hour was the longest thirty minutes of my life. Even though I was pretty bad at it, I prayed to God to save Janet and my baby. Just as I was about to make one of those stupid deals with God, the door to the waiting area.

“Is the baby’s father here?”

“That’s me! Yes, I’m Cam Franklin. Is my baby okay?”

“Why don’t you come with me where we can talk?”

“We can talk here. This is all my family.”

“Very well, then. I'm happy to tell you that you have a beautiful, eight-pound baby boy. He’s healthy, strong, and is doing quite well. Unfortunately, the mother passed away during the emergency C-section. There was nothing that could have been done. She was being attended to by one of the top neurologists. You have my deepest sympathy, Mr. Franklin. Would you like to see your son?”

“Yes, please! Whoa—my son!”

Mom and Dad followed me to the nursery area. I heard that Janet’s father and brother arrived while we were with the baby. God, I’m glad I wasn’t there for that. Sam and Claire told him everything that the doctor had told us. He was a total mess, losing his wife and daughter at the same time. Claire said the nurses had to give him a shot to calm him down, and his son took him home.

Holy shit! My son was beautiful! He was lying in his plastic bassinet and was all bundled up in a blanket. A nurse came out and told me to follow her. They had me put on booties, a coat, and a hair net and led me into the room with the babies.

She picked my baby up and put him in my arms, showing me how to hold him and support his head. I carried him over to the window so I could show him to Mom and Dad. They were thrilled and smiling and crying and taking pictures—all at the same time!

The nurse led me over to a large, wooden rocking chair. I just looked at my baby boy. “Well, little man, it’s just you, me, and your other Daddy now. I’m sorry you won’t get to know your mama. She was pretty awesome. But I have a feeling she’s gonna be with you for a long, long time.”

I hear a tap on the window and looked up. Mom and Dad had their arms around each other and grinning from ear to ear. Mom took another pic with her free hand as I smiled back at them.

The nurse brought me a bottle and told me I should give my boy his first feeding. Another nurse pulled up a computer stand and started asking me questions. “Can you tell me the mother’s name?”

“Yes ma’am, it’s—was—Janet Anderson. I don’t know her middle name.” Tears started forming in my eyes. “I can’t even ask her now.”

The other nurse grabbed a tissue and dabbed my eyes since my hands were full. “My name’s Cameron Elliot Franklin—and this little guy is Elias Cameron Franklin.” I had decided to name him after my grandfather, who died a couple of years ago. We had a tradition in our family where the first-born son's middle name would be his dad’s name.

* * * * *

By the time we finished unpacking and getting everything set up in the nursery, it was time for Eli to take his afternoon nap. I went up to take him from Claire, who was sitting in the kitchen. She had just finished feeding him, and my boy let out a big ol’ burp. She told me we would probably need to change him before he went to sleep.

Ian changed him and set him down as I was getting the shower ready. When he entered the bathroom, I was already in the shower and lightly stroking my rock-hard cock. As I watched my beautiful boy strip down, I just got hotter and hornier.

He stepped into the shower, led by his beautiful hard cock. I think we kissed longer than we ever had. “Oh, fuck Cam! I’ve missed this and you so much!”

“Let’s clean up and get into that bed, baby. I need you to make love to me sooooo bad!”

That kiss might have been long, but I think that was the fastest shower we’ve ever taken together. We wrapped towels around us and headed to the bedroom but stopped in the nursery to check on our little boy. He was sound asleep.

Ian took me to bed, and we resumed our hot and heavy kissing. He then moved down and devoured my nipples, causing me to thrash on the bed. Ian moved down to my abs and licked all the precum that had pooled in the cuts. He knew better than to pay any attention to my cock. He wanted me to last as long as possible.

My beautiful boy then spread my legs and began licking and sucking on my balls before he began to move to my twitching ass. I pulled my legs up and moaned as Ian started working his magic with his tongue. He would tease me by barely touching my pucker, and then he would send me into another universe when he plunged his tongue into my hole.

“Oh, baby! That’s ama—Oh, fuuuck!” I was surprised he could keep his tongue on target from the way I was flopping all over the place.

He reached over for the bottle of lube he had placed on the bed before we crawled in. He stood on the mattress in front of me and made a sexy little show of lubing up his beautiful cock. Holy fuck! I love this boy. I reach for my cock, and he actually kicked my hand away!

The next thing I know, Ian is on the bed and guiding his cock into my wet and waiting hole. Fuck! It feels amazing! He pushed in slowly, but I flex my ass muscles and milk his cock into me at a much more reasonable speed!

Now, I love my boy more than life itself. But let me tell you why I love his amazingly perfect cock even more. There’s this slight upward curve that hits my magic spot with every pass. The longer we fuck, the more he destroys my prostate!

After a few minutes, my baby pushed in as deep as he could and rolled us over without leaving my ass. I wrapped my legs around his back, and before I knew it, I was riding his amazing cock like the whore-boy I’d proudly become.

He was moaning. I was panting. His breathing became ragged, and I knew he was getting close. I pulled my boy up to me, and we kissed deeply as I continued to ride and squeeze his cock. Ian screamed into my mouth as he erupted deep inside me. That was all it took for me to shower the two of us with what I think must be the largest load I’ve ever released.

I actually blacked out for a couple of seconds from the intense orgasm. But soon, I realized that my baby was holding me tight in his arms, planting kisses all over my face and neck. As we always did, he stayed inside me as long as he could. When Ian Jr. decided to free himself of my ass, I reached down to the floor and grabbed one of our towels. I cleaned us up as we lay down together, wrapped in each other’s arms.

We had a short, post-fuck nap that lasted about an hour when the baby monitor on the nightstand came to life with Eli’s cry for attention. Ian pulled himself up and told me he would take care of our son.

Wow. Our son. Our home. How could I love this man more with every day I spend with him?